Trend Lines, Motivation, Granularity and Discouragement
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- NoelFigart
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- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
- Location: Lebanon, NH
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Trend Lines, Motivation, Granularity and Discouragement
I've noticed a tendency to get discouraged when weighing in, and wanted to point out a couple of things about this diet and how too fine a granularity (meaning looking at trends of less than a month), aren't all that useful when you're doing No S.
This is a series of weigh-ins for me starting from April (I think. Someone with better eyes might wanna correct me). Taken as a daily thing, it would be really easy to get discouraged, even with the seven day moving average trendline (the red line takes the last seven days as an average and plots the curve according to that. It's a moving average, which means when I add data, it automatically updates). Notice right now it seems to be going UP. GACK! FEAR! FIRE! FOE! AWAKE!
This is a chart reflecting my daily weigh-ins since the end of February. Notice that the blue line is still ALL OVER the place. There's little to no consistency in weight other than one thing....
If you look at the red line (This is a 30 day moving average. Same principle, but it's looking over a month's time) you'll notice that the trend is a slow, steady down.
Reinhard talks a bit about this in his book -- that you need to be looking in terms of months and years, not days and weeks. The problem is excess over a slow and steady period. That means to correct the problem you're looking at a correct over the same slow and steady period.
This is a series of weigh-ins for me starting from April (I think. Someone with better eyes might wanna correct me). Taken as a daily thing, it would be really easy to get discouraged, even with the seven day moving average trendline (the red line takes the last seven days as an average and plots the curve according to that. It's a moving average, which means when I add data, it automatically updates). Notice right now it seems to be going UP. GACK! FEAR! FIRE! FOE! AWAKE!
This is a chart reflecting my daily weigh-ins since the end of February. Notice that the blue line is still ALL OVER the place. There's little to no consistency in weight other than one thing....
If you look at the red line (This is a 30 day moving average. Same principle, but it's looking over a month's time) you'll notice that the trend is a slow, steady down.
Reinhard talks a bit about this in his book -- that you need to be looking in terms of months and years, not days and weeks. The problem is excess over a slow and steady period. That means to correct the problem you're looking at a correct over the same slow and steady period.
Noel,
Thanks for sharing this. I have been looking for some way to graph my weight over the long haul too. Is that chart something I can find online? I did a little searching last night, but haven't come up with what I want yet...
Thanks for sharing this. I have been looking for some way to graph my weight over the long haul too. Is that chart something I can find online? I did a little searching last night, but haven't come up with what I want yet...
Jill
The food I eat today is my choice! What price am I willing to pay?
"There are no failures, only feedback." ~~ Robert Allen
The food I eat today is my choice! What price am I willing to pay?
"There are no failures, only feedback." ~~ Robert Allen
- NoelFigart
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
- Location: Lebanon, NH
- Contact:
- NoelFigart
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
- Location: Lebanon, NH
- Contact:
First you make a chart from the data. In this case, I made a line chart.
Then you right click on the data series (in my chart it's a blue line with datapoint dots).
When you see the popup menu, you'll notice there's an option called "Add trendline".
A dialog box will pop up with Trendline Options. Choose Moving average. The default moving average is a period of 2. You can change that to whatever you like.
Then you right click on the data series (in my chart it's a blue line with datapoint dots).
When you see the popup menu, you'll notice there's an option called "Add trendline".
A dialog box will pop up with Trendline Options. Choose Moving average. The default moving average is a period of 2. You can change that to whatever you like.
I really needed this post today. I did the running average--yaay. It's good to look back and see how much I weighed in January (154) compared to this very day (147). I was so dismayed this morning because my weight jumped back up from 145 to 147. Seeing the running average makes me realize how much weight I have successfully kept off. Keeping off those last stubborn pounds is so HARD though. Ugh.
"Anyone can cook." ~ Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille
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- Location: California
Noel,
I think this is great information ... it shows how realistic and slow and steady weight loss can be on No S ...
Blueskighs
I think this is great information ... it shows how realistic and slow and steady weight loss can be on No S ...
Blueskighs
www.nosdiet.blogspot.com Where I blog daily about my No S journey
Noel,
This is great! Rose posted something similar a while ago which I'm having trouble finding.
I think I really may put something like this directly on the site to make it easy for the less technical (who may not even have excel) to do the same thing.
I think I've underestimated the importance of "good measuring" because "minimal measuring" has done the trick for me personally (and I think, for many it is the best strategy). But some people are going to measure no matter what, and for some people it may really (if done right) be very helpful, making it easy to do it right, as you and rose have done, would be a very useful service.
If only I didn't need to sleep I would have done this weeks ago
In the meantime, does anyone know of a free, minimally irritating online service that does this already that we could point people to?
Reinhard
This is great! Rose posted something similar a while ago which I'm having trouble finding.
I think I really may put something like this directly on the site to make it easy for the less technical (who may not even have excel) to do the same thing.
I think I've underestimated the importance of "good measuring" because "minimal measuring" has done the trick for me personally (and I think, for many it is the best strategy). But some people are going to measure no matter what, and for some people it may really (if done right) be very helpful, making it easy to do it right, as you and rose have done, would be a very useful service.
If only I didn't need to sleep I would have done this weeks ago
In the meantime, does anyone know of a free, minimally irritating online service that does this already that we could point people to?
Reinhard
- NoelFigart
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- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
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Hi! I've been lurking for about a month. My former college roommate (like, from 20 years ago) and I have been following the plan since then - This is our fourth week.
I'm interjecting here b/c Reinhard mentioned looking for a trend chart posted by Rose. I happened to see it earlier today. I'm going to try to post it below:
http://lorientales2.free.fr/temporaire/ ... pr2008.GIF\
I don't know how to make it look pretty, but if you paste that into your browser it should pull up Rose's progress chart.
I hope you don't mind me inserting this, Rose!!!
I'm interjecting here b/c Reinhard mentioned looking for a trend chart posted by Rose. I happened to see it earlier today. I'm going to try to post it below:
http://lorientales2.free.fr/temporaire/ ... pr2008.GIF\
I don't know how to make it look pretty, but if you paste that into your browser it should pull up Rose's progress chart.
I hope you don't mind me inserting this, Rose!!!
- BrightAngel
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- Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:22 pm
- Location: Central California
- Contact:
Reinhard, I'll be very interested to see and use your graph.reinhard wrote:In the meantime, does anyone know of a free, minimally irritating online service that does this already that we could point people to?
Reinhard
Of course my main graphs are in my Diet Power program,
but, except for the 2 week free trial, that program has a purchase fee.
I like the free graphing information at The Hacker's Diet online
but I don't remember exactly how I got there.
Reinhard, the technical information of that graphing formula
is explained in detail at the following site,
and might be helpful to you,
assuming you don't already have some sort of formula graph in mind.
http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/palm/
I also like the free stock-market weight function at www.eatqod.com
A very simple program online that has such a graph is at
www.weightcommander2.com
I've used a weightcommander graph off and on for years,
with no problems.
It is a free site, but he does ask for a $9 donation.
Perhaps one of those will provide ideas for the future graph,
or a temporary graphing ability to some.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com
See: DietHobby. com